African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Ace Magashule’s former bodyguard, Ricardo Mettler, has been handed a 15-year jail sentence by the High Court in Bloemfontein.
Forty-three-year-old Mettler was convicted of stealing the multi-million rand Pierneef painting from the Free State government headquarters in Bloemfontein in 2018.
The Hawks investigation revealed that Mettler stole the valuable painting and handed it over to a businessman, who then took a piece to be evaluated.
He was also found guilty of fraud, money laundering and making a false statement under oath.
Free State National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping says this serves as a warning to officials who abuse the trust that is placed in them.
“He was earlier today [Wednesday] sentenced to an effective fifteen years imprisonment after he was sentenced for theft relating to a painting worth R18 million stolen from the offices of the then Premier in the Free State,” adds Shuping.
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